Decisions, Decisions
by mandaree1
Summary: She thinks she might've moved first. It's hard to tell who starts what. Peridot shifts on her lap, hands cupping the crooks of her elbows, and then they're both learning in. It's slow; a bit silly, a bit exciting, a bit fascinating. Just like the Earth.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe!**

 **Title: Decisions, Decisions**

 **Summary: She thinks she might've moved first. It's hard to tell who starts what. Peridot shifts on her lap, hands cupping the crooks of her elbows, and then they're both learning in. It's slow; a bit silly, a bit exciting, a bit fascinating. Just like the Earth.**

 **Pairing: Amedot**

 **...**

Peridot perches on Amethyst's belly, head to her chest. Steven's loud snores are only overshadowed by the TV (which is on something far less interesting than Camp Pining Hearts), and the portrait on the wall, as loud as a silent scream, which Peridot has learned is not something to be brought up. Not unless she wants awkward looks and awkward, halfhearted responses. Peridot isn't sure if it's a rule or not, to not mention it, but it seems like Rose Quartz is someone who has a lot of rules attached to her name.

Amethyst is lounging, her head resting comfortably on the edge of Steven's bed, an arm wrapped around Peridot's torso. She's warm and soft. Peridot enjoys both of those sensations.

"I should probably go back to the bathroom," Peridot says into the loud silence.

Amethyst's grip tightens, dark eyes darting to her. "You don't gotta go," she says. "Not if you don't want to."

"Oh." Peridot lets that concept sink in with a blink. "Then I won't, then."

The Quartz lifts her head to give her the full benefit of a smile. "I'm glad."

Peridot smiles back. "Me too."

She thinks she might've moved first. It's hard to tell who starts what. Peridot shifts on her lap, hands cupping the crooks of her elbows, and then they're both learning in. It's slow; a bit silly, a bit exciting, a bit fascinating. Just like the Earth.

Their lips almost brush when Amethyst suddenly pulls back, leaving her cold and confused and on the floor. Amethyst is flat against the side of the bed, hands gripping at the material, face such a bright purple Peridot grows a bit concerned.

"Wuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut do you think you're doing, Peri?" Amethyst asks shakily.

Peridot blinks twice. "I was trying to kiss you," she states sensibly. "Have I... overstepped a boundary?"

"Maybe kinda-sorta?"

"Oh. That wasn't my intent, and I apologize."

"Uuuuuuuuuuuugh." Amethyst runs her fingers through her hair, whipping them around wildly and generally making a bigger mess out of it. "Okay, okay, getting my head in gear, gotta talk about this like an adult, man do I _hate_ being an adult..."

"Amethyst?" Peridot reaches out to touch her arm. "Are you... okay?"

"Just _peachy_."

"I... don't follow. What do peaches have to do with this?"

Amethyst doesn't answer. She hisses in a breath. "Peri, you know that could be taken as... romantic, right? Kissing. I mean, friends kiss, but friends usually give friends warning. Not that romantic partners shouldn't- I need to stop rambling."

Peridot stares at her a long moment, then looks at the small hand she'd set on her arm, flushing a bit. "It was meant to be romantic."

"Oh. _Oh_."

"Oh?"

"Ooooooooooooooooooooh."

"Ooooooooooooooooooooh?"

Amethyst ruffles her own hair some more. "Whoo boy, _okay_."

"Should I alert Steven? Or Garnet?"

" _No_. Stars, no." Amethyst fixes her a shrewd look. "You seem to be taking this in stride, btw."

Peridot shrugs, eyes skittering off to the side. "Well, I assume I've already been given a rejection, so my main concern is receiving constructive criticism."

"Wahuh?"

"I want to know you're _okay,_ and what I did _wrong_ , and then to go listen to my music again. Possibly with crying." Peridot pauses, considering. She nods to herself. " _Probably_ with crying."

"I'm fine. Just overwhelmed."

"I didn't realize 'fine' and 'overwhelmed' mixed."

Amethyst reaches out to put both her hands on Peridot's shoulders. "Peridot, you realize this is the _worst possible time_ for a love confession, right?"

"I didn't confess anything," she defends, then pauses. "...How so?"

She mouths the question like it's common sense. "Are you kidding me- we're literally any second away from a second war, Peridot! Homeworld? Diamond Authority? Ring any bells for you!?"

Peridot puts her hands on the outstretched arms, smiling self-consciously. "My statistics informed me it was better to try now and fail than not try at all."

"We're probably gonna _die_ , Peri."

"I know. And, as awkward as this conversation is, I'd rather have it than be plagued with unknowns." Peridot's fingers dig in. "Am I really so unlikable to garner such an emphatic reaction?"

"You're not unlikable," she answers, scowling. "I was just surprised."

"Why? I would've thought you'd had this sort of thing before." Peridot bit her lip. "You've been with others before. You've told me so."

"Yeah, but not like this!" Amethyst waves her hands around.

Peridot cocked her head to the side. "...Next to Steven's bed?"

"No, _nerd_ , I mean long-term." She crossed her arms with an uncomfortable shrug. "I've had peeps before. More than one at a time, sometimes. But humans go so fast, y'know? It wasn't worth trying for something deep with 'em; most of the time, they weren't lookin' for it. They just liked me 'cause I'm purple. I've got Vidalia, sure, and that's probably going somewhere, but she's already middle-aged." Amethyst lets out a bittersweet giggle. "Man, she might just outlive me. How bonkers is that?"

"So... you're attracted to multiple people?"

"Sometimes? It really depends on the people. I've been in a coupla poly things over the years, and it's all up to me finding the right people."

"Is Vidalia one of those people?"

Amethyst hesitantly nods.

"Am _I_ one of those people?"

Amethyst doesn't respond.

"It's okay to say no," Peridot reassures her.

Her dark eye swivels to her. "What if I don't _wanna_ say no?"

She swallows, pleasantly surprised. "Then I'd ask why you freaked out over the kiss."

"Because Steven's right here. _And_ it's too dark. We'll bump noses. Also, I _really_ need a tic-tac before we even think of mashing mouths." Amethyst smooths her bangs out of her face, frowning. "I'm a bit of a wreck, okay?"

Peridot laughs at that. "You make it sound like I'm perfect."

"Are you?"

"In some ways, yes. In other ways, no." She crawled back to her original position, the same arm hooking around her waist. "The good just happens to outweigh the bad."

Amethyst buries her face in Peridot's shoulder with a noise she thinks is laughter-related. "You shoulda met me before all of this," she whispers. "I was a totally different Gem."

"Really?"

"Not really. I had shorter hair, though, so that's a thing. I didn't have to, like, think about other people as much, I guess? No one really depended on me for anything, so I went off scott free."

"Hmmm? Sounds boring to me." Peridot risks pressing a kiss to her cheek, and gets no repercussions from it. "What's the point of fleeing a dangerous society if you don't get to make terrible decisions from time to time?"

 **Author's Note: I just felt like writing Amedot, idk.**

 **This idea's been floating around in my head since Raising the Barn, and I just never got to it until now. =)**

 **-Mandaree1**


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